Team Fortress 2 Admin Commands: RCON & SourceMod List

Team Fortress 2 gives you two separate admin systems: the built-in RCON console that ships with every Source dedicated server, and SourceMod, the plugin platform that adds the familiar sm_ commands and an in-game admin menu. This guide covers both — how to get access, where to type, and every command worth knowing.

RCON works out of the box, SourceMod does not

Everything in sections 1–5 works on a stock TF2 server with no plugins. The sm_ commands in section 6 require SourceMod to be installed first — see How to install SourceMod plugins for Team Fortress 2.

1. How TF2 Admin Access Works

There is no "op" list in vanilla TF2. Access is proven two ways:

RCON is all-or-nothing — anyone with the password can run anything, including quit. SourceMod is what you want the moment you have more than one admin, because it grants specific powers to specific SteamIDs.

2. Set Up RCON

Add these to tf/cfg/server.cfg:

rcon_password "USE_A_LONG_RANDOM_STRING"
sv_password ""

• rcon_password — the admin password. Leave it empty to disable RCON entirely.
• sv_password — the join password. Empty means a public server.

Never reuse your Steam password here

rcon_password is transmitted by older clients in plain text and grants total control of the server process. Use a long random string that you use nowhere else, and change it if it is ever shared.

To authenticate from your own game client, open the developer console and run:

rcon_address <your.server.ip>:27015
rcon_password YOUR_PASSWORD
rcon status

On the GSK panel you can skip RCON entirely

The Console tab in your GameServerKings panel is already authenticated against your server. Type commands there without the rcon prefix and without exposing a password.

3. Server & Player Management

Run these from the server console directly, or prefix with rcon from a game client.

Bans vanish on restart without writeid

banid only holds the ban in memory. Run writeid (or writeip) afterwards to commit it to banned_user.cfg / banned_ip.cfg. This is the single most common reason a banned player walks straight back in after a map change or reboot.

4. Match & Gameplay Settings

These are convars — they hold a value rather than firing once. Set them in server.cfg to apply on every boot.

For competitive formats and the tournament-mode convars, see Team Fortress 2 Gamemodes.

5. Bots and Cheat Commands

sv_cheats 1 must be set before any command in the second table works. Turning it on flags the server, so use it on a private or test server rather than a live public one.

With sv_cheats 1:

6. SourceMod Admin Commands

Once SourceMod is installed, these run from chat (! shows the output publicly, / hides it) or from console with the sm_ prefix. The flag column is the permission an admin needs — see section 7.

Core administration

Punishment and moderation

Messaging

Voting

Some commands come from optional plugins

sm_beacon, sm_burn and sm_slap ship in SourceMod's funcommands plugin, and the sm_vote* set in funvotes — both are bundled but can be disabled. If a command is unrecognised, check that its .smx file is still in addons/sourcemod/plugins. Community plugins add many more, such as sm_freeze and sm_timebomb.

7. Granting SourceMod Admin

Edit tf/addons/sourcemod/configs/admins_simple.ini and add one line per admin:

"STEAM_0:1:12345678" "99:z"

99 is the immunity level (higher numbers cannot be targeted by lower ones) and z is the root flag — everything. For a moderator who should kick and ban but not touch convars or RCON, use the specific flags instead:

"STEAM_0:1:87654321" "50:bcdefj"

Run sm_reloadadmins after saving, or change the map, for the file to take effect.

Use the SteamID format SourceMod expects

admins_simple.ini wants the legacy STEAM_0:1:12345678 form, not the 17-digit SteamID64. Running status on your server prints each connected player in exactly the right format — copy it straight from there.

8. FAQ

How do I make myself admin on my own TF2 server?

For full control immediately, set rcon_password in tf/cfg/server.cfg and authenticate with rcon_password YOUR_PASSWORD from the in-game console. For named per-person admin with an in-game menu, install SourceMod and add your SteamID to admins_simple.ini with the z flag.

Why do my bans keep disappearing?

Because banid and banip only write to memory. Run writeid and writeip afterwards to save them to banned_user.cfg and banned_ip.cfg. SourceMod's sm_ban saves automatically, which is one reason to prefer it.

Do TF2 admin commands need a slash?

In the server console and over RCON, no — type status, not /status. SourceMod commands typed in chat need a prefix: ! runs the command and shows the reply to everyone, / runs it silently. From console, use the full sm_ name with no prefix.

What is the difference between kick and kickid?

kick matches on player name, which breaks when a name contains spaces or unicode. kickid uses the numeric userid shown by status and is always unambiguous — prefer it in scripts.

Can I run admin commands without SourceMod?

Yes. Everything in sections 3 through 5 is built into the Source engine. SourceMod adds per-admin permissions, the in-game menu, gagging and muting, and persistent bans — but it is not required for basic moderation.

Why does noclip say "unknown command"?

The cheat commands need sv_cheats 1 set first, and it must be set on the server, not your client. Note that enabling cheats is visible to players and will disable achievements for the session.

9. What to Read Next

• Getting started with your Team Fortress 2 Server for first boot and the core config
• How to install SourceMod plugins for Team Fortress 2 — required for every sm_ command above
• How to use Custom Maps and setup FastDL for Team Fortress 2
• Team Fortress 2 Gamemodes

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